Committee Against Hate/Violence

The County Executive must appoint members to the Committee on Hate/Violence, subject to confirmation by the County Council. The Committee consists of 15 voting members and six ex-officio, non-voting members. Each voting member must reside in the County. The voting members must broadly reflect the geographic, economic, and social diversity of the County. At least nine voting members should be identified with ethnic or other groups frequently subjected to acts of hate/violence in the County. At least two voting members should be parents of school-age children. At least one voting member should be identified with the County business community. The County Council, Office of the County Executive, Department of Police, Office of Human Rights, Montgomery County Public Schools, and Montgomery College, should each designate a representative to serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Committee. Each voting member serves a three-year term. A voting member must not serve more than two consecutive full terms. A member appointed to fill a vacancy serves the rest of the term. Members continue in office until their successors are appointed and qualified. Voting members receive no compensation for their services.
The duties of the Hate/Violence Committee are to develop and distribute information about hate/violence, promote educational activities that demonstrate the positive value of ethnic and social diversity; advise the County Council, the County Executive, and County agencies about hate/violence in the County, and recommend such policies, programs, legislation, or regulations as it finds necessary to reduce the incidences of acts of hate/violence.

Committee Against Hate Violence Meeting Dates

COHV meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. The meetings generally commence at 7:00 p.m. and adjourn at 9:00 p.m. Committee members are sent an agenda along with the minutes from the priot month's meeting. In addition to the monthly meeting a retreat is held each year. The retreat for 2018 will likely be scheduled for August. See meeting calendar here.

NEWS

2019 Alpha Phi Alpha MLK Breakfast. This event was attended by members of the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights Committee Against Hate/Violence.

Joint Statement of Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett with Montgomery County Human Rights Commission and the Committee Against Hate Violence
Again we are stunned and outraged at the continuing horrific acts of hate, violence and bigotry thrust upon the victims and members of our nation’s communities, this time in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. Our condolences and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and injured participants and first responders.

Montgomery County stands in solidarity with the Charlottesville community and condemns this senseless attack and inexcusable display of hatred by white supremacist groups. This is a time to unite in healing and we decry hateful attempts to divide our communities. See Full Statement.

Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) Executive Director Alvin O. Gillard Statement on Hate Group Activity To All Marylanders. Perhaps now as much as any time in our recent history we need to be bold in our commitment toward ensuring equity, opportunity, and inclusion for all people of our great state. The seeds of intolerance, exclusion, and indifference that have been planted over the past few years have now grown into acts of hate, violence, and open intimidation. A climate of acceptance of vile groups, including but not limited to the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, and skinheads, is being promoted by attempting to cast them as legitimate alternative voices. Let’s be clear – these are not legitimate groups, these are not legitimate voices. They are the antithesis of everything we hope to be as a nation, as a state, and as a community.

We the staff of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights encourage all Marylanders to join us in fighting hate, unlawful discrimination, violence, and extremism in all of its forms. Whether through participating in a program offered by MCCR, or connecting with local efforts which promote acceptance and respect, or simply by seeking to build relationships with those of different religious, racial, and other backgrounds, each of us can do something positive and meaningful toward creating a more just and balanced community. Additionally, we have to directly repudiate hate, bigotry, racism, and anti-Semitism at every turn and no matter its origins.
The vision of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is to have a state that is free from any trace of unlawful discrimination. We can only realize this vision by working together with all Marylanders who share in it.

Human Trafficking Occurring in DC’s Backyard. Human trafficking is a global problem — with a local impact in Montgomery County. Thursday, August 10, 2017 the county’s Human Trafficking Task Force and a State Department delegation discussed the challenges human trafficking raises.
Representatives from 19 countries — including Paraguay, India, Tanzania and the Czech Republic — heard from county leaders on the shared problems of dealing with human trafficking, including detecting trafficking operation rings and how to assist trafficking victims. Read More

Attorney General Lynch’s Video Statement on Hate Crimes
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released a video statement today on the FBI’s newly announced 2015 Hate Crime Statistics as well as on recent media reports of alleged hate crimes and harassment around the country. The statement reminds individuals to report these incidents to both local law enforcement and the Justice Department in order to ensure that career investigators and prosecutors are able to enforce hate crime statutes at the local, state and federal level. See video here.

Brian Frosh, Maryland Attorney General Launches Hate Crime Hotline
After increased reports of hate speech in the state, Maryland's Attorney General Brian Frosh on Thursday launched a hotline for victims to report the crimes. Frosh said in a statement that "Maryland is not immune" to a national "outbreak" of hate incidents targeting racial minorities, Muslims, Jews, immigrants and LGBT people. The state's top law enforcement officer encouraged victims to report it to local law enforcement, and said calls made to his office on the hotline (1-866-481-8361) would be referred to local officials. Frosh on Monday said there was an "upwelling" in reports of intolerant conduct and he wanted to reiterate such incidents can be criminal. Read more.

MCPD Chief Tom Manger's Message to Community on Hate Incidents
Chief Tom Manger-Message on Hate Incidents
Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger has a message to the community regarding hate incidents. To watch video

Statement by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett & The Montgomery County Council on Deportation Threats Against County Residents, January 11, 2016. Our nation faces a significant humanitarian challenge in how we deal with the thousands of children and families fleeing violence in Central America. Current conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras merit granting special temporary protection to these children and parents who have legitimate reason to fear for their lives if returned to their countries. Read complete statement here.

Montgomery County Committee on Hate/Violence and Montgomery County Office of Human Rights presents Bullying in Schools: A Community Symposium on Prevention and Intervention Strategies. This event was held Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. See photos from this event here. Resources for Bullying Prevention. Learn more here: http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/

Bullying Awareness Guidebook is produced by the Accredited Schools Online: This guide brings awareness to numerous types of bullying and who may be targeted, while also providing guidance to students, parents, educators and school professionals on how to prevent and stop this debilitating public aggression. Special attention is given to cyberbullying, an ever-growing issue for today’s generation.

Montgomery County Council President Valerie Ervin presented a proclamation in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month. “Bullying Prevention Month- Bullying among children and teenagers has often been dismissed as a normal part of growing up. Little attention has been paid to the devastating effects of bullying, or to the connection between bullying and other forms of violence. Students and adults around the country have made a commitment to stop bullying in their schools and communities. Everyone in every community need to be empowered with options to effectively respond to bullying.” See video here.

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